The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and relevant links.

Austrian Alps and Gibbous Moon

This photo showing a wan, waxing gibbous Moon floating above the Austrian Alps was taken near Silbertal (Montafon), Austria on May 20, 2005. It was snapped in the late afternoon, approximately 6:44 p.m. local time. Though the Moon, at any phase, dominates the night sky, before nightfall even clouds effectively compete with it in terms of brightness. Here, in proximity to a jaunty cumulus cloud, only the Moon's obvious circular shape gives its location away.